I. Field of the Invention
This invention is generally directed to the field of agriculture machinery, and more particularly, it relates to a preplanting tillage implements generally used in combination with a seed planting device. Specifically, the invention relates to rolling basket tillage implements, trash moving or trash whipping devices and coulter devices, usually used in tandem with a seed planting implement in which the rolling basket, trash whip and/or coulter devices may be used in various combinations and may have an independent height or deployment adjustment aspect.
II. Related Art
In the spring, prior to planting, farmers must prepare their fields for accepting seed. Many tillage implements have been designed and are used to condition the soil in preparation for planting. Traditional farming includes both primary and secondary tillage tasks to prepare the soil such as plowing, disking, field cultivating and harrowing. Disking is an example of a method of primary tillage and harrowing is an example of a method of secondary tillage.
Primary tillage is a first pass over the soil using a soil conditioning implement attached to the rear of a tractor which works deep into the soil. The soil is usually worked about four inches deep to break up clods of soil, remove air pockets, and destroy weeds deep in the earth. Secondary tillage involves another pass over the same soil, at a more shallow depth, using implements which are generally attached to the rear of the primary tillage unit such that the secondary tillage unit follows the primary tillage unit. The secondary tillage unit generally works the soil to a depth of about two inches.
The secondary tillage unit is usually a final conditioning tool to prepare the soil for planting. Various units may chop up crop residues, or move them out of the way of rows to be planted, break up soil clods and break up any crust on the top of the soil, provide seed furrows, weed control, incorporate chemicals into the soil, and stir and firm the soil closer to the surface.
Rolling basket seedbed finishers represent an important type of secondary soil conditioning implement. Rolling baskets are primarily used as soil leveling devices to break up and minimize clods of soil and to remove air pockets from the soil. Farmers obtain great benefit from using rolling baskets as a means of secondary tillage to provide a level soil for planting. The ability to break up clods of soil, remove air pockets and further incorporate chemicals generally leads to better crop yields at harvest.
In addition to rolling basket seedbed finishers, other agriculture implements are also generally used in preparing the soil for planting. These include a trash whipping-type device which includes a pair of spiked disks normally mounted on a triangular mount which are used to move debris out of the way prior to soil conditioning. Other soil conditioning tools which might be mounted before seed planting implements include coulter devices which employ a sharp steel wedge that cuts vertically and provides a shallow furrow through the soil.
Accordingly, it would be beneficial if a secondary tillage operation using a rolling basket could advantageously be combined with a planting operation such that one could take immediate advantage of soil in condition for planting by accomplishing the planting project during the same pass over a field. Thus, the attachment of rolling basket tillage for use in conjunction with a seed planting implement would be desirable.
However, the use and effectiveness of rolling baskets or other soil conditioning implements is greatly limited by the condition of the soil. If the soil is too wet, rolling basket soil conditioning implements may become filled and clogged with soil which make them useless for further soil conditioning until they are again emptied of soil. When a farmer realizes that areas of soil in a field are too wet to use such implements, he will generally forego the use of such soil conditioning implements entirely for the season. This means that much of the soil may not be properly treated and an expensive farming implement will lay idle. This is not a desirable or economically efficient situation for farmers.
It would, therefore, also be beneficial to provide an arrangement or mechanism that enables intermittent use of a soil conditioning implement, particularly a rolling basket seedbed finisher, and/or a planter in a field where areas of soil are dry enough for use, but where there are also areas which are too wet for use. Such a device would allow a farmer to raise rolling basket seedbed finishers above the soil and out of use whenever they reach a section of a field where the soil is too wet and thereafter enable the rolling basket finisher to be lowered and reconnect with the soil in areas where the soil is suitable for use.
Trash moving or trash whip devices represent another type of equipment which can be advantageously added to a row crop planter to handle amounts of crop residue often present on a field to be replanted, particularly if no till farming is being employed. Minimal till or no till farming leaves an amount of crop residue on a field which may interfere with subsequent seeding operations and so needs to be moved aside from planted rows. The trash whips normally include pairs of angled disks with radially directed teeth or spikes which move crop residue out of the way in advance of planting. The trash whips are normally mounted so that the angled disks form a V-shape and they may or may not overlap.
One problem associated with the operation of trash whippers is controlling the depth of operation of the disk spikes in the field. Some of the present trash whipping devices are mounted at a fixed vertical distance from a tool bar on a planter. The height is adjustable between a series of fixed vertical location settings only. There is no independent control over the force exerted by the implement. Some other current trash whipping devices use air cylinders to modulate resistance in one direction.
Thus, if the lift force or down pressure force on the trash whipping device could be controlled and adjusted, as needed, it would present a distinct advantage.